The FastDay Forum

Hi @Tracieknits,@Briagha, @Golarne. Its good to know I am not alone on this journey and there is some support out there. I'm on my second fast of the week - just 3 hours until I can eat! - and once again I am having a relatively easy fast. The only thing I am doing differently this time is using essential oils to help curb my hunger pangs. Today I am using grapefruit oil - which seems to be helping a lot. I bought an aromatherapy pendant and am using that.

I've got a long way to go - and I am determined that this time if (when!!!!) I plateau I am not giving up but I am going to do something to get the weight loss going again. I now realise that 5:2 is going to be with me for the long haul. I'm going to leave it another couple of weeks before I weigh myself. I lose weight incredibly slowly.

Lovely to have some support from you all.

Esta xxx

[Tracieknits]

I'm glad you're finding tricks to help ease your fast!

My favorite is tea. I drink a lot of tea on fast days -- I buy myself really fantastic tea in all sorts of flavors. Right now I'm drinking an apricot scented black tea from Mariage Freres. I've got Earl Grey, Jasmin, Marco Polo, Cardamom and many many more. Tea gets me through.

I think your attitude is great. We need to understand we are human. Weight loss isn't necessarily fast and we *will* plateau. We *will* fall off the wagon. The difference is how we respond to it. Are we going to despair, give up and regain the weight? Or are we going to find something new? Recommit? go back to basics?

5:2 worked for me for a long time (about 40 pounds), but then I needed to tweak it in order to get it working for me again. This appears to be quite common. Some people drop carbs. Some people go to eating windows. Some track calories on their non-fast days (hate to admit it, but overeating on non-fast days can really undo all that good work). Some people have adopted the tricks in Dr. Amanda Sainsbury-Salis' books (she's fantastic and I highly recommend her books). I decided to combine 5:2 with weight watchers because some friends joined ww and asked me to join them. Thing is, you have to be flexible and when your body doesn't respond the way it had been, figure out what you need to do to get a response.

I'll be really interested to hear how you get on combining 5:2 and WW. That may be something I could look at when the dreaded plateau arrives. I will look out for Dr Amana S-S. I've not heard of her before. Exercise is a key thing for me - so I got back in a swimming pool today after 2 years. And it was fine - although a little busy so I will have to find a quieter time to go. Starting yoga tomorrow - after 25 years. Could be interesting!

[Tracieknits]

That's great that you're adding in some exercise. It's so important for good health

I have a link in my signature to the mini blog post I've written about what I"m doing with ww and 5:2. I'll go update it today. Last summer I lost a bit over 38 pounds combing the two, and on April 15, a year later, I was still 35 pounds down. I just gained a few pound back over vacation, but I'm sure it will come off quickly. I"m hoping to lose at least 25 this year, if not more. I tend to do the bulk of my weight loss in the spring and summer each year. It's so much easier with all of the fresh, cheap veggies and with the great weather making exercise so much easier.

Hi Esta

Good to hear you are still coping okay with the fasts and that you are getting some exercise happening. Yoga has lots of benefits beyond just the exercise, hope you enjoy it.

Always wise words from Tracie. We are human and we don't / can't always stick to the way we would ideally like to eat. But if you are having problems, please seek support here, rather than absenting yourself. Don't feel embarrassed or whatever - share what you are going through and what your issues are. And that in itself may help see you through - quite apart from the support you will get here. There may not be many who are active, but there will at least be a few to respond,

Do break your journey into stages, and focus on one stage at a time. And give yourself a break from fasting every so often if you feel you are struggling - take a week (or two) off.

I also recommend the Amanda Salis books, and also have found many of Kate Horwood's ideas useful. Amanda is an Aussie, Kate is English. They both have a focus on eating a wide range of nutritious foods according to hunger. Kate has more a wholistic approach overall.

Best wishes!

I found changing up the fasting schedule a little when hitting a plateau, works for me. So, I'll do two fast days in a row, or do a 24 hour (or longer), which seems to do the trick most of the time. As everyone will tell you, the secret is not to give up. Eventually those stubborn pounds will go!